Era Trinity
by Hazuki721
Summary: One world slips into another and in the aftermath the search for new united era begins.


It was early morning and the sun had yet to rise from the horizon. High above the clouds three distant figures of dragons flew above a vast forest. Drifting behind Aurea struggled to keep up with her parents still groggy from being woken up so early. Then again she had hardly slept from all the excitement of yesterday's news. For today was the day when they would go to gather gems.

Always taking the same path each year they went towards a distant village that lay along both banks of a river. Connecting both sides of the village was a little red bridge that they would fly over before following the river upstream towards a long dead volcano. As sunrise came she could sometimes catch a glimpse of deer or moose along those misty banks.

Whenever this happened Aurea would watch as her mother dove down driving the herds until she had picked out a few does. Then her father would fold his wings and fall from the sky into the group. Only at the last second would he snap his wings open and reach out with his hind talons. This new threat would scatter the rounded up herd into her mother's claws while her father would break the neck of the slowest. Then both would begin the work to return to the air with thier heavy loads. A task Aurea was always eager aid her parents with.

For the distance to the mountain from the village was short as they merely had to travel towards the waterfall feeding the river. Yet the act of skinning, cleaning, tanning the fur, weaving them into bags with sharpened holed out bones for a needle was an arduous process. Once finished the next task was cutting up chunks of meat to be carried in said bags who became so heavy that the sun had set late into the sky by the time they arrived.

Perching upon a stony outcropping jutting along the mountainside they would follow a carved out ridge to an abandoned cave hidden by the falls. There they would rest and spend the night eating som _e_ of their flame cooked catch. As they ate Aurea would pester them for stories and though some they told were new often times her parents told the same one around that fire.

"There was a time," her mother began, "that all who dwelled here lived in another world. In that world magic was a gift and all the beasts of the earth had the choice on how to use this gift. Dragonkind chose the power of the primordial flame, the elves chose the ability of communion, the merfolk were granted the gift of freedom, and so it went on. Yet among those who were granted these gifts many used it for thier own personal gain.

The worst of these were the Munthreki who were gifted with the magic of perspective. With the ability to see beyond themselves they were at times wiser than most races and they grew proud of this. They began to feel superior to the others and believed all should obey what wisdom they had as law. Yet the laws they made did not fully consider the traditions we had formed around our gifts. For thier pride had blinded them to thier own gift. In the end when we did not do as they asked they hunted us. Until it came to a time when we knew we would face extinction.

All who still survived gathered and together we called out to the first peice of magic. We asked for a new world, and to maintain this world great beings known as the Xurwkar Di Wurunwi were born. Under their protection we were granted a peaceful life and the demons were left behind on that lost world. Grateful for this peace some came to worship the Xuwkari. So they called themselves the Heiwa as members of that order once carried the legacy as practitioners in magic. Although it has been many years since that name has been uttered after the loss of their kind. For through the Xurwkari they could perform feats that none of the other races could do alone.

Some came to fear this power, and others grew bitter at becoming subservient to beings they believed to have been created by each of our kind. Either way the Heiwa were destroyed and now within the ruins of a volcano much like this one stands what little of thier work remains. Now only a few remain who remember the true nature of those who dwell in this realm. Among those few we carve the gems of this mountain to maintain their traditions."

In the morning they would go deeper into to the cave and start cracking geodes to gather the quartz within. Sometimes she would try to gather as many gems as possible. Other times she would wander about the cave watching the bats hanging from the ceiling. During those days she would try chasing a few to mimic her mother as they fluttered about catching wayward bugs. When she was lucky enough to catch one she would prance around showing off her kill to her parents. Who would often smile and nod as parents do when they were occupied with something else. When thier new bags were full of gems it was time to go back home. Yet before they began their journey they would fly to the rain filled crater at the top of the mountain and catch trout their ancestors had placed there long ago.

After eating thier fill of fish the remnants of thier hunt, and some gems would then be bundled up and left on the little red bridge. "To thank the villagers for letting us borrow their mountain." Her parents often told her. Then carrying a few bags of gems they would return home exhausted from such a long flight, but for Aurea her new little pile of gems were always worth the effort. For the runes she carved came alive with the power of magic. Rounds of praise often came from her mother and father at the sight of this along with words of caution.

"Aurea." Her father spoke. "Your magic is precious, but please take care to whom you share it with. For there are many in this world who would see your gift as a curse."

"Yeah, but strangers aren't allowed here so I can practice my magic as is." Aurea sighed tired of the repeated lecture.

Her parents glanced at each other. "Yet if anything were to happen, or we were ever separated-"

"Go to the ruins of the Hewa, right?"

The two nodded, and Aurea smiled. "I promise to continue being careful, now can I please learn another rune?"

"Bored already?" Her father smiled.

"You've only ever taught me how to use nine why can't I learn how to use the rest?"

"Runes are just the beginning. The true power of a disciple is to know the spell well enough without using any object to manifest it. It is then that we will go to the ruins together."

Aurea glanced at her mother. "If I ever can do that. Are you sure I can't just go now?"

"Aurea I'm sure the power will come to you eventually if you keep practicing instead of getting distracted by other things."

"Hey maintaining my hunting skills is just as important as magic!"

"You collect rocks and bird feathers."

"Just as important! I mean why does this only work with gems? Why can't I carve other things."

"You know why. You expend the magic within the land turning it into ash."

"Not gems though."

"This again?"

"It's presurized rock! What's the difference?"

"You will know when we go to the ruins."

"Do you ever feel like a wolf chasing it's tail sometimes?"

"Yes. Now what does this symbol mean?" Her father pointed to a triangle within a square he had marked upon a stone wall.

"Guidance. It can be used to find someone, or a place you need to go." Glancing up Aurea flashed a mischievous grin. "I bet you wish you could use this one on me."

Her mother let out a bemused snort blowing wisps of smoke which curled from her nostrils. "Well we've made do without it. Besides I'm sure we can live a few more days trusting that you'll somehow manage to find your way back to us."

Aurea giggled when a faint sound of thunder rumbled from the distance. Her father rose and moved toward the entrance of the cave. "Rain tonight?" Her mother called after him. Nodding he returned to his mate to nuzzle her. "How are you feeling?"

"It's fine I can stand one night dear."

"I know, but our caches of medicine is a bit low. Had we simply forgone the ritual today I could have-"

"The ritual is a tradition I find comfort in."

"I hardly think that comfort is the issue here."

"There is little else to be done. Immortality was a blessing, but we cannot dwell on the past. What we have today I want to treasure."

"We could keep searching for a cure."

"It is not our place to defy the will of the Xurwkari. I have made my peace dear, and I pray you will find yours. Now please let's not have this conversation in front of Aurea."

Her father glanced at Aurea who had become quiet keeping her gaze averted from the two. Noting her father's frustration from the twitch of his tail to the wafts of smoke poured from his nostrils. His eyes bored into her and she knew he wanted her to leave. There would be no new runes today.

Inching away she mumbled an excuse that she felt tired. Ignoring the low irritable whispers shared between the two she sulked in her nest. Today of all days she had hoped that her family could be happy. The magic she had was something that always brought her parents joy, but now even that ended in endless bickering. In the end only her mother returned to the back of the den.

"Where's father?"

"Gone out."

"Gone..." Aurora's mind reeled. A storm was coming and any sane dragon would know to stay grounded lest they be tossed about by the wind or struck down by lightning.

Her mother seemed to understand as she shuddered. "I told him not to go. He'll lose whatever herbs he thinks he will carry."

"We need to stop him!"

"He has more smoke than fire when he is like this. He will not listen, and we can only hope he will not stray far. Stay with me so that we may look together if he does not return by the end of the storm. I will not risk you being injured to his foolishness."

Aurea opened her mouth to protest, but saw light dance across her mother's chest. As if something hot and bright was sparking out from in between the cracks in her scales. Her mother shuddered again with a low moan, and Aurea became still.

"Did dad mention where the herbs we had were?"

Her mother's eyes seemed to try to focus, but only dulled as the light flickered again. "I...I can't recall."

Aurea nodded and leaned close to her mother. She could feel the feverish heat eminating from her as the fire within her body burned her away from the inside. The gift of the dragons had long ago rejected her mother and it was slowly killing her. Carving a rune on the ground she focused on the marking that was Mend. A vibrant glow of indigo surrounded them and softened the earth beneath them as it turned into ash. The light did not fade from her mother, but it did not burn her either. As long as Aurea held to that rune her mother would feel no pain until the episode was over. Already Aurea could hear her let out a sigh of relief as she curled into a closer embrace.

The strain of pouring all her energy into that rune was less of a burden with her mother beside her. For hours they remained that way as the sound of rain faintly echoed within their home. It was only until she felt the heat radiating off her mother fade that she ended the spell and began to fade into a deep sleep. Until a distant crack of thunder followed by a loud wail startled her. At first she checked to see if it was a relapse, but quickly noted her mother still lay sound asleep. Carefully wriggling free so as not to disturb her Aurea moved towards the cave entrance just in time to see the dark figure of a dragon falling from the sky.

"Father!" She cried out and leaping forward without a second thought she unfurled her wings. Diving into the forest below after him.

The rain poured down and the wind howled in her ears as she flew towards where he fell. Her heart pounded as she was thrown this way and that by the wild winds. While high above she could hear the thunder rumble a warning, as she fought her way across the terbulant sky. When she neared to her closest estimate of where he landed she fold her wings and let herself plummet straight down just as the sky lit up above in a cascade of lightning. She winced wishing she had taken a geode with her to carve a rune for protection. The return trip was going to be hard for the both of them in this gale storm. Once landed she kept to the ground searching the forest for him. Until finally she detected the faintest smell of burnt meat. She could barely make out the dark outline of his massive frame as she quickly ran to his side.

"Father! Keep still I'll heal you!" She called out over the storm.

She could hear him mutter something, but the words were lost in the wind. "It's alright just give me a second!" She called again as she carved the mend rune into the earth. Her indigo light flickered and pooled around him healing seared flesh, and broken bones. When she was done the light faded and slowly he began to stand up. Letting out a sigh of relief she stretched out her wings. Ready to fly back home with him when suddenly she froze.

Aurea could suddenly feel her heart pounding in her chest. She could strikingly recall her father not being so big. Then slowly he turned towards her with eyes that glowed in a way that made her scales crawl. Again the stranger spoke and this time she heard him. "Who are you?"

* * *

Those words echoed in Aurea's mind as her eyes snapped open. She looked about wildly, but found nothing save for a fading sound of buzzing in the distance. The memories of a simpler life had only grown over time until they had made thier way into her dreams. Only to wake somber and anxious while lost in this shattered land. As her eyes focused to draw in the moonlight she could make out the small distant glimmer of some bug that had awoken her. A firefly perhaps? Perhaps not. These woods were full of dangers, and even now a heavy scent hung in the air that carried a nearby warning. Choosing to flee now than risking the danger of lingering seemed like the best action.

She rose from her curled up position while stretching her aching legs and wings. Then marking the ground she concentrated on the rune for guidance. The indigo light shone from the mark and she sensed that she needed to head north. Cutting off the spell she scratched away the dead earth to hide her marking. Then taking off at brisk pace she moved away from the strange flickering light and deeper into the dark woods. As she navigated her way throughout the night the brush around her grew thicker and a fog slowly began to roll in. Her sense of smell and sight were greatly diminished to the point that any other dragon would have considered taking flight to move above the treetops. Yet instead she moved downhill until she had been engulfed by the fog. Halfway down the steep slope the forest gave way to stone shattered expanse filled with massive boulders that she had to heft herself over. Soon drops of rain began to lightly fall upon the stones before soaking her completely as it quickly became more heavy.

"So much for staying dry..." She muttered under her breath as she struggled over uprooted trees semi buried in wet stone and dirt whose splintered branches, trunks, and roots poked out just enough to trip and scratch her. Her mouth was left agape to suck in more air as the climb took it's toll on her aching body. Finally she managed to jump down to the leaf littered soil below. The sound of dried up leaves softly followed her with each step as she made her way back the forest again. Autumn's frozen air made her shiver from the dampness and cold seeping into her scales.

As she was about to enter the safety of the trees a shadow passed overhead. Startled she froze and for a moment wondered how she hadn't heard the sound of wings. Yet before she could let herself finish that thought she forced herself to leap forward into the thick bushes ahead. Beyond the ground became a sudden sharp slope with muddy earth too loose from the rain to regain her footing. With a startled gasp she tumbled forward a ways down before hitting the ground. A thick layer of sticks and leaves rustled under her cushioning the impact her fall. "What was that?" The voice she heard was quickly followed by the distinct sound of nearby footsteps. As they drew towards her, she noticed a nearby hollowed out log, and quickly ducked inside. Through a small hole she made with her claw she watched as three figures came into view only to stand a few inches away. Holding her breath she felt her heart pounding in her ears. _Please._ She begged. _Don't look._ As if to answer she heard wing beats as a fourth dragon descended. "What's taking so long?" He growled.

"Heard something. Might be that cursed spawn that got away." One of them murmured quietly.

"Sothi told us to leave her be. He's got dragons better suited to handle her. Come on! We've got to deliver these to the Griffons."

"What if it was her?" Another insisted.

"What if indeed." He hissed. "If you're all so eager to have yourselves buried by her evil go ahead and make my day. Leave me to find a less bird brained lot than the three of you."

The other three grumbled bitterly, but complied as Aurea heard the sound of bags being moved around. Trembling she waited until she heard the sound of fading wingbeats before she let herself breathe again.

Crawling out of the log she noticed that the fog had lightened up and she could make out that she was no longer in the forest. Ahead was another large group of boulders in her way, and she recalled that the area had experienced a large rockslide. Much to her chagrin this now allowed those giant brutes to land without smashing into the trees, and meant more work for her to get away. Perhaps it didn't have to be so tedious? Thinking for a moment she picked out a particularly large boulder, and began her work. Concentrating she etched a symbol into the side of the stone with her talon and watched as it shimmered in a indigo light. Feeling the spell slowly take hold she began to scan the area for more of her kind.

The sight of dragons flying overhead came as no surprise to her. Yet some were flying so low to the ground she could even see their eyes which held a familiar eerie glow. Whoever Sothi was it seemed as if he had already sent these dragons on the hunt. Uneasy Aurea felt incredibly grateful for the mark that was currently keeping her camouflaged. Her own white scales were dotted with large orange diamond patterns that faded into spots. While aesthetically pleasing they had been a constant nuisance when it came to hiding. Squinting she could barely make out the tree line of the forest continuing just a ways ahead. The rockslide had created a huge hill of rubble that sloped downward. Stopping suddenly before a rising hill top which created a ravine between the two. Returning her attention above her she watched as the dragons passed on into the distance. She saw some circle over the ravine which was quickly filling with water from the rain. One among them broke away from the group. Flying uphill they landed nearby to speak with a dragon guarding the higher end of the slope. Two dragons in fact as she looked closer to see a second larger one scanning the area ahead with great intent.

Her heart beat quickened at the sight of that dragon and moving fast she loosed some of her flame around the rune causing the stone to melt until she could break off the marked shard of stone. Picking up the shard in her mouth she moved downwind from the duo towards the base of the slope. The lower she got to the ground the more the stones changed from steep to jagged. Large boulders shot out of the ground with harsh jutting edges that scraped her arms and legs.

As she moved across the expanse figures of the dragons that flew overhead would cast hundreds of flickering shadows to mark how many of them filled the sky. A few would sometimes even dive down or appear so suddenly above the distant treetops that she would have to remind herself that as long as she held her concentration on the rune she was invisible to them. Yet the proximity kept her on edge as the slow dread of being seen ate away at her.

So enrapt in her own concerns that she had hardly noticed the how close she had gone towards the edge of the ravine. The long drop now beneath her was littered with jutting roots and branches. Startled she flapped her wings wildly to balance herself from falling. Only to have the slick rock beneath her cause her to slide over the edge and collide into a wayward branch. She felt her wing give out upon impact, and yelping in pain she dropped the stone from her mouth. Panicking she lunged to grab it only missing it by inches before tumbling through sharp rocks and mud until she plunged into the shallow river below.

Smashing into the rocks beneath she felt something snap before agonizing pain shot through her. Surfacing she gasped and sputtered tasting iron in her mouth. She heard the sound of wings and began to panic knowing that they must have heard her cries. She struggled her way through the hip deep water as the shadows rained down from the sky. The earth shook as they landed around her and for a moment all kept still waiting to see what the other might do. Aurea spun round seeking, but finding all her exits blocked. Then a sudden cacophony of large splashes resounded from behind her quickly coming closer. As they drew near she grabbed a handful of pebbles from beneath the water and quickly carved a rune into one of them. Each bounded forward before being be flung back as a barrier shone around her upon impact. Just as quickly as it formed the barrier dissolved as the rune carved stone crumbled into ash. She could feel herself become unsteady after pushing back so many. Yet determined to use this chance she charged forward. She glanced back once when she had made it to the shallow edge of the river only to wish she hadn't. There were a lot of dragons all large, angry, and very, very close.

Glancing over she saw that the two cliff sides of the ravine were too steep to climb up without being caught. With only forward to go she pushed herself to run as fast as possible following the river's current. She could hear the dragons panting behind her now, and some would land in front of her only to be pushed back as she used up another pebble. Snarls turned into a strange low gurgle, and bright hot lights flashed behind her followed by more enraged roars. Thier flames licked at her heels as she dodged trying to keep her limited supply of pebbles for when they came close. Above her a smaller one appeared and spotting her he began to pursue emitting a low gurgle that caused her to dart forward. Barely dodging out of the way as he released a massive burst of fire that caused the rain drenched earth to sizzle and hiss as the water evaporated into a thick mist. The river boiled and she could hear the dragons behind her taking off to avoid being scorched.

Just as eager to not be burned she too leapt into the air only to have pain shoot down through her wings and crying out she fell. The hot water seared into her hide and screaming her eyes watered until tears ran down her face. Gritting her teeth all she could do was force herself to run forward. Yet the pain was so blinding that she hardly noticed the small drake hurtling towards her until she felt him collide on top of her and pressing her into the ground. Her head held beneath the boiling water she struggled in pain and desperate to breath. For a moment she felt herself slipping away and panicking she began to thrash around wildly. Just as desperate to hold on the drake's claws sunk deeper into her hide tearing out bloody gashes. Sill she fought for air until his need for balance released a paw from her long neck allowing her to twist around and let loose a burst of flame into his face. Shrieking he lost all balance and falling into the hot water his cries grew louder as he flailed to become airborne.

Gasping for air Aurea rose up on unsteady legs as two large shadows passed over head. She could hear their wings above her, but her eyes were too sore to see. Thier gurgling warned her of even more fire pouring down from the sky. Her clawful of pebbles gone she blindly grabbed at any stone beneath the bubbling water and carving a rune in it her barrier appeared keeping the flames at bay long enough to get a head start at running.

As the water cooled she could feel the current of the river was speeding up. Ahead the sound of water faded into distant echoes, and her time playing in the waterfall at the geode cave urged her to take flight. Yet recalling the pain of her last attempt at becoming airborne she skittered to a halt and glanced around desperate to see. Yet all she detected were three other dragons who dove down with claws outstretched to grab her. The first she managed to jump aside to have thier claws graze her. Which sent her headlong into the other two. As they collided she was thrown back and over the edge. Her wings flailed uselessly as the fall seemed to last forever. Until closing her eyes she felt herself crash into the water. Darkness overtook her and once more she heard a distant buzzing that now grew into a melodic hum. Both beautiful and familiar it resounded within her a sense of deep longing. She could feel power from that song drawing her back and almost wished for it not to as she could now feel every part of her sting in agony.

Slowly she forced herself to open her eyes, and spotted a blurry light followed by the humming. Rather than risking being caught if she tried to surface she decided to take a chance. Swimming down she made her way towards the light until the ground beneath her started to rise. Swimming upwards she suddenly broke the waters surface and found what smelled like a damp cavern full of air. Slowly paddling forward she dragged herself onto the dry soil. Every part of her was sore and she felt exhausted. Yet before she could rest there was something she had to do. Drawing mend into the sand she let herself be bathed in it's light. Until drained from the use of her gifts she collapsed into a deep slumber.

* * *

She was by the ocean now with the wind blowing the smell of salt to her. She heard her parents voices calling to her. Running towards them she saw runes etched into the sand. She recognized some like shield, mend, and obscure yet more she did not know covered the shore as it was washed away by the tide.

They turned to look at her, and before they could speak the wind grew into a sudden gale causing sand to spray into her eyes. Tears ran down her face as her eyes stung until the wind died down. When she finally managed to open them again she found herself alone. Wandering along the shore she began to call out for her parents. When no answer came she scanned the cloudy night sky, and spotted a flock of birds circling over an outcropping of stones. Wandering closer she saw that they were fighting over a red string. Below them she saw something glowing, and began to climb, passing tide pools filled with crabs and oysters. Reaching the top she saw a crystal larger than anything she had encountered.

The song echoed in her mind again, and her father's voice called out from behind her. Turning she saw that a bridge of water had formed all the way out to sea. In the distance she could make out the familiar figure of her parents, and began to run after them. As she drew close the tide became still and the coulds faded to reveal a night sky full of stars. Each shimmering light reflecting in the water like a mirror. If not for the occasional crab shell that littered the bridge beneath her she would have thought that she was racing through the heavens. In fact the closer she got to the distant figures of her family the more shells seemed to appear. A sense of unease began to fill her as small dead fish began to litter the bridge. Twitching and writhing alive yet with chunks ripped from their flesh. The stench of blood filled her nostrils as everything began to be coated in a red hue. There was a distant rumbling that grew louder, and louder.

* * *

The noise of her stomach growling slowly roused her as she was struck by aching hunger. She felt sore and winced as pain shot through her shoulders when she tried to sit up. Her right wing had also become stiff and numb which confirmed that she probably sprained or broke it. Blinking a few times she found that her eyesight had somewhat returned as she could make out the sand beneath her feet and the white crystal shards scattered about the cavern floor. Groggily she considered using another mending rune to heal her wounds, but she doubted she had the strength to do so. In her state she probably wouldn't be able to hunt any small prey that was hiding in the area, and much to her dismay she had to swim again. Taking her time she made her way to the edge of the water. Slowly she waded through the shallows hissing as the cold water lapped around her. Then taking a deep breath she plunged down and began to swim. Making her way out of the cave and to the surface she spent a moment treading water to see what had occurred.

Dawn's rays were lighting up the sky and the fog had cleared away. The rain had also lightened up a bit, but was still coming down enough to make things hard to see. She managed to make out what looked like the edge of the lake, and a few spare scouts lazily watching the water's surface. Some even looked like they were asleep, and with last nights antics she wasn't surprised. Taking another breath she ducked under the water and swam trying to not disturb the surface. Taking a few quick moments to poke her nose above the water for air she swam until she had made her way to the edge of the lake. Checking around to see she hadn't disturbed anyone she found a pebble and carved her cloaking rune into it. Then quietly she made her way up a slope and crossed into the plains beyond.

The day had passed into evening as she walked along the wet plains tired and shivering. It seemed like none of the dragons had followed her, and so she had taken to slowly limping along. The pain emanating from her battered body had not subsided, but grew with each passing step. She had been hungry for a while now and noticed something like crops in the distance. _A farm?_ She hoped as she began to pick up the pace and to her relief she found a field full of corn. Though she couldn't eat the crop itself she knew farms had other animals that she could choose from.

Yet as she went deeper into the field she felt an energy moving through it much like the humming sensation from the sky before lightning struck. Having such a power move through and around her made her scales itch. The urge to just run out of the field was becoming more pressing when something clunked under her feet. Drawing back she brushed away the mud until she could make out a handle and pulling it revealed a secret room. Curious she climbed inside closing the hatch behind her. As her eyes adjusted she could make out what seemed to be an abandoned storage room. A thick layer of dust coated empty shelves with rubble strewn on the floor. There was a wide array of rusted tools, and even a spare moth eaten bed all left behind to rot from the damp air that filled the room. The only item not completely damaged was a metal chest in the far back. Moving towards it she carefully picked her way across the floor which had bits of broken glass scattered about. In front of the chest she etched a rune on the ground in front of her and a soft audible click came from within. Opening it she found a large satchel which contained a note, and a small portrait of two smiling elven parents and their child. The dark haired girl looked younger than ten as her long hair covered most of her face. She was hiding behind her mother's leg and shyly peeking up at the painter. Putting the portrait back inside the bag she tried to read the letter, but the words were illegible. Instead she looked around to see if she could scavenge some food from the rubble.

After some searching she could only find a few shelves littered with metal cylinders marked with even more unreadable writing. This left her with no other choice, but to find out if there was a barn here. Although she worried about the state of the animals if the farm was just as abandoned as this room. Perhaps the only thing keeping the crops from rotting was this strange energy she could feel. Yet still hoping for that to not be true she grabbed the satchel in case the meat she got was in need of being carried for her long journey. Eventually she made her way out of the field and came across the barn. A lock barred the entrance leaving her to mark the ground with her rune once more. Hearing the click she hesitated unsure of what to expect before opening the door and wandering inside.

What first hit her was the rancid stench of decay and looking around she was met with the sight of dead animals. Most look like they had starved to death as maggots began to gnaw at their boney corpses. Their pens filled the barn, and taking a moment to brace herself she began to move towards the back hoping for any signs of life. Row upon row was filled with as much death and decay as the last. Until she was at the back of the barn she saw one of the piles in the pig pen move. One of them was alive, and it's eyes looked to have been gored out. It was covered with various wounds that were being gnawed on by maggots. It was eating it's own to live, but sniffed the air nervously every now and then.

The idea of hunting it made her stomach churn, but if she remembered it right fresh kill often held less diseases than rotten. The maimed beast was also blind, and she reassured herself that had it been any other healthier prey she would have no luck in her catch. Instead by managing to end it's suffering she would be doing both of them a favor. Taking a deep breath she undid the latch, opened the pen, and readied her flame. What she was not prepared for was how quick the pig detected her as it spun round and charged. Quickly she let loose a barrage of fire onto the beast. Letting out a shriek it quickly squirmed away from her and flailed wildly in the mud of it's pen. While it was distracted she leapt forward claws extended to latch on so that she could get her fangs into it's throat. Yet as she made the jump the pig twisted round and raked her with it's tusks slamming her into the side of the pen. Now the pig charged, and she barely managed to release another volley of fire as her head spun. Skittering away from the fire the pig continued it's charge, and panicking Aurea scrambled to escape the pen. Yet before she could crawl away the boar slammed into her. It's teeth digging into her back leg as it threw her about dragging her in the mud. Twisting her neck she let out flame after flame until it let her go. Then with leaping forward she barely managed to make it past the gate and slam it behind her. Immediately she heard some voices nearby as four figures opened the back door to the barn. They appeared to be elven men, but they were dressed in strange black armor. They shouted at each other in a language she had never heard before, and each brandished an odd metallic object. One of them called out to her shouting something she could not understand.

Nervous she began to back away. "I-I'm sorry. I thought this place was abandoned..."

More shouting increasingly insistent and angry. She was panicking now and turning she ran back through the open barn doors. She could hear them yelling behind her before the sudden sound of roaring thunder resounded from their metal weapons. Something whizzed in the air around her before she felt it bury and tear itself into her causing her to reel from the impact and lose her balance. Collapsing she rolled to the ground letting out a piercing shriek at the sudden flood of pain. Scrambling to get up she found her legs wouldn't move and glancing back for a second she saw blood, _her_ blood, pooling onto the floor.

Calm footsteps slowly approached her followed by wary words. One them wandered in front of her and kneeled down. He was speaking to her again, and all she could do was shake her head. "I'm sorry." She repeated over and over as tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't understand. Please...don't.,."

The strange elf looked up at his companions and shook his head. Sighing one of them moved closer and pointed thier weapon at her head. Fear started to claw itself deeper into Aurea but fighting off urge to freeze in panic she quickly scratched a shield rune into the ground. As she moved the weapon cracked with thunder and closing her eyes she braced for the end. Yet for a few minutes she felt nothing before opening her eyes to see the barrier shine around her in a purple light. Glancing down she saw the rune unfinished and stared just as stunned at the light as the elves. Then snapping out of it the elves quickly backed away. Weapons raised they circled her wildly yelling at each other.

Feeling the spell draining her energy rapidly she desperately tried concentrating to hold onto it as the room began to spin and slowly slip away. The barrier flickered around her, as she began to groan from the strain. Another wave of power came and in an instant a light swelled around her and blasted forward turning the weapons they were holding into ash. Disarmed the elves began to back away as terror dawned on thier faces. Yet before she could drive them off completely the power faded as quickly as it came. Aurea could hold on no longer as the weight of such magic along with the unbearable amount of pain rushing over her. Her head swam with exhaustion as black spots darted in front of her eyes before she finally blacked out.


End file.
